Montana Welcomes New Clubs 25'

With the beginning of 2025, the USATF Montana Association ushers in a number of new USATF sanctioned clubs to Big Sky Country.  Member clubs are at the heart of USA Track & Field. They provide much needed support to athletes in the form of coaching, financial support, and athletic satisfaction.

The focus and goals of each club are as unique and diverse as the athletes who compete for them. Some clubs focus primarily on elite development, while others specialize in youth or masters' programs, or the many other disciplines of USATF. Whatever the case may be, each club is vital to the sport's future in the United States.

A big “Welcome” to the following new clubs of the USATF Montana Association:

• Broadus Speed Goats - Broadus, MT.
• Stumptown Track Club - Whitefish, MT,
• Bitterroot Valley Junior Olympics Track Club - Hamilton, MT.
• Signal Butte Speed Goats - Miles City, MT
• Joliet Run Club - Joliet, MT.

Likewise, one of our most recent clubs, the Joliet Run Club, serves as a focal point for outlying communities in the surrounding area.  The goal being to offer access to smaller communities with a regional hub serving as a USATF club in their region. 

Joliet Run Club is led by ACE certified personal trainer and RRCA running coach, Terra Rockhold Stene who resides in Joliet, MT. She has been working with student athletes for just a few years in cross country, as well as track & field. In that short period of time she has truly enjoyed guiding the athletes toward further success outside the classroom, as well as providing them opportunities for new experiences within and outside the small community. Terra notes, "I truly enjoy sharing my passion for fitness with young runners.  It fills my heart to guide them towards sucess not only in competition, but also to foster an appreciation of the many benefits of running as a social, lifelong sport they can take with them the rest of their lives."

An active runner herself, Terra enjoys being a part of the local running community and competing in local evens ranging from the Annual Beartooth Pass Run to the Run to the Pub Half Marathon and Big Sky State Games. Trail running, cross-country skiing and hiking in the Beartooths are some of her family's favorite pastimes.The Joliet Run Club competed in USATF sponsored Junior Olympic track meets for the first time in 2024, with three athletes qualiflying for Junior Olympic Nationals in Texas this past July. One athlete, Auston Schellig, chose to compete at Nationals and placed 7th in the 2000m Steeplechase, qualifyiing him as an "All American" in the event.

Of the Junior Olympic experience, Terra says, "I feel so fortunate that I was able to coach and attend this amazing event at Texas A&M. Watching the athletes' names cross the big screen gave me goose bumps.  Then hearing our athletes' and club's name announced during the awards ceremony was something I never dreamed of experiencing.  The USATF J.O. circuit has opened so many doors for our club and athletes."   

As new sanctioned clubs, the USATF Montana Association offers grants to interested individuals wishing to start a new program in their area.  Our Association is currently in the process of implementing our 2025 Grow to Impact Grant to help with starting more new clubs, while also assisting current clubs to enhance their existing resources. If interested in applying for a Grow to Impact Grant, contact Dave Skelton, Clubs Membership Chair at bztkclub@gmail.com or Greg Mohl, President, USATF Montana Associon at mohlgb@gmail.com for more information.